Sony Ericsson’s UX platform reimagines Android with a slick new interface and integrated communication features. A major part of that redesigned experience is Timescape, SE’s integrated media and communication system that aggregates all the activity of the device owner and his or her friends.

Timescape is an interesting approach to content sharing. Users browse stacks of tiles revealing status updates from Facebook and Twitter, calls or text messages, unread email, and recent music, photos, or videos recorded or added by the user. Clicking on a tile brings up the information in a browser or corresponding app. A home screen widget provides a snapshot of the latest occurrence, while the full Timescape app features scrollable tiles that move with reasonable fluidity.

The Timescape app won’t replace anyone’s default social networking app full-time, but it is an entertaining way to view content. Having a friend stream pulled from multiple sites can be useful. Though profile images pulled from Twitter can scale poorly on titles, the link to that person’s activities is potentially appealing.

TIMESCAPE INFINITY

As a fan of Address Book, the XPERIA X10 won me over with Infinity, a feature that quickly identifies all links to your contacts. Pressing the Infinity button brings up all known content associated with that person. Status updates, previous contacts, and photos tagged with a friend’s name are all linked in Timescape, which allows users to reply or see more content in each category. This is not a must-have feature, but I love having the option of a streamlined view.

Sony has done well to greatly decrease the previous lag that plagued the X10′s early builds. Moving from app to app on the phone is smooth, and the touchscreen feels very responsive. However, there are times when it doesn’t feel like the X10 really takes advantage of its 1 GHz processor. Transitioning between functions in Timescape can take up to 2 seconds. This is not a huge sticking point because Sony expects to update the software shortly, but when you’ve seen a Nexus One blast through functions quicker than you can blink, it’s hard not to the notice slight pauses in Timescape.

Overall, Timescape is as slick and good looking as you may have expected. Will this be the must-have feature that makes you run to the store and purchase the XPERIA X10? No, but it will be a great feature for anyone who uses an X10. Timescape is similar to MOTOBLUR in that both systems aggregate content from social networks and alter the appearance of Android. By the time Sony removes the lags and integrates more services, Timescape will become as useful as it is visually appealing.

35 Comments

Andrew, i'm just wondering if timescape makes it possible to really respond to your friends updates (for example reply to a status update on facebook) or it just makes it possible to see the updates. Thnx

wow great phone, love my x10. favorite unlocked mobile phones this year. processor is fast, touch screen is really responsive, battery life lasts all day and i like the keys on the bottom, and i'm pretty dang picky. much better than my old unlocked android phones. they are practical, the email and web browser are great for my business and keeping in touch with my clients. gps helps me get around. the apps are great and it's such a nice looking phone, i get a lot of compliments. love my new unlocked gsm phones. my wife loves hers for the facebook, camera, and recorder. daughter loves hers for the games and I like it so i can keep in touch with my fantasy team. x10 is my favorite so far. practical too. got my last couple unlocked 3g phones at gsmallover.com 2 thumbs way up

zef. Yeah. No kidding. My homescreen stopped updating too and now there is this status update from my boss frozen there. And what's even better, her facebook picture is an image of her and her kid. Which is creepy. So i need to either get this bug addressed or get timescape the hell off my homescreen.

I'm back. Zef.. reboot your phone. If that doesn't work, did you install a task killer of some kind? That could be doing it. For me a reboot has fixed the issue for now. Not sure if this will be an ongoing annoyance though..

Does anybody know how to get Timescape off of the homescreen altogether? I've disabled my Facebook and Twitter accounts as I just found the whole application really annoying, but Timescape is still sat on my homescreen showing me the last call I made or picture I took which is just pointless and annoying me! How can I switch it so that the Sony Ericsson logo sits there – like it did before I started fiddling with Timescape? Any advice much appreciated – thanks

Ah actually I just answered my own question (for anyone else interested!) – if you press the timescape window til the trash can appears at the bottom of the screen you can drag it into there and remove it from the homescreen. Yay.

ok so i removed timescape from my homescreen in error, just because i was doodling around. I like it so I want it back. But when i select the icon from that other screen, and try to drag it over…it just saves as a shortcut. And i do not want to make my homescreen the timescape only. Only since i hv my own wallpaper and dont like their themes. what do i do to bring back my timescape?

There's a few ways. If you want to just delete one message, hold your finger on the one you want to delete. A Message Options screen appears. Then just press "delete message". You will also see that is where you can also "forward" or "copy message text" or "view message details" from that same Message Options screen. Now, if you want to remove all the text messages from just one thread, as they call it, have on your screen the one you want to remove, then press the bottom left key, then choose the word "more", and up comes a window that says "delete thread" and "all threads". Press the one you want. Another way, depending on what you want to do, is to press "Messaging" on your home screen, then press the left lower button, and just tap "Delete threads". Hope this helps.

to log off facebook while on ye facebook click the menu key left hand side key on bottom of ye phone which brings up home page click that which brings up the page with notifications inbox news feed etc click the menu key again and brings up settings and log out clik log out